Nut Chopper: Tools of the Trade

When I was a kid, I didn’t like nuts in baked goods. Now I love them, and I’m so glad my kids like them too. I’ve mentioned in my recipes that it makes a big difference to toast your nuts before putting them into your batter. It brings out the flavor in the nuts.

To toast them, put whole or half nuts in a baking ban and bake at 350 degrees about 5 – 10 minutes. I usually check them after 4 minutes, shake the pan a little and put them back in for 4 minutes. Let them cool and then chop them. If you chop the nuts before hand, they will burn much too easily. Always be sure to set a time so you don’t forget about them.

When it comes to chopping nuts, I recently bought a nut chopper. This was a very inexpensive item I picked up at the grocery store, and I’m so glad I did! The nuts get chopped quickly and easily, and they don’t scatter all over the place. You simply place nuts in the top container, turn the handle and the chopped nuts fall into the bottom container.

If you use nuts frequently and don’t have a nut chopper, think about getting one.